One of the most important genres of orchestral music is the symphony. Composers aim to showcase the best of their instrumentation prowess in a symphonic piece. This recital will follow along the entire development of the symphony. From Haydn’s early symphony involving just a few instruments to Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole swaying with Mediterranean romanticism, all the way to The Poem of Ecstasy by the Russian Scriabin that touches upon every feeling and every musical instrument making us go through a mind altering experience ‘intoxicated’ by the orchestra.

This recital is a journey, not in the history of a genre, but in the lives of its individual composers. In reality it starts exactly where the previous season left off: in the world of gods and eroticism. What’s more, these compositions come from the minds of three serious, strict and realistic composers. They are also similar to each other in the sense that all three pieces originate from the first creative period of the composers. Moreover, their uniqueness shares the similarity of being a journey in the world of another era or a circle of ideas that differs from the usual creative interest of the individual composers.

This recital will ignite your imagination from every perspective. The story of En saga by Sibelius was left to the imagination of the audience. Following that, Schumann lines up four soloists for us in one single recital recalling the fairy tales and heroes of German romanticism. And in closing, a piece born of a dual fantasy will be heard: Brahms’ monumental piano quartet reimagined and orchestrated by Schönberg turning it into a symphony. One may argue that the symphony was there from the very beginning, and Schönberg simply ‘opened it up.’ What’s definite is that the orchestra will open up everything to You on this night.

Do you want to go to a concert where you won’t only hear works by the most well-known composers? Do you want to cross the threshold from classical music, not only to world music, but even further to the music of the universe? Then the musicians of the Pannon Philharmonic are playing for you tonight! First, a Parisian girl, barely 25 years of age, tells us a story about a spring morning, then the passionate music of Sibelius traverses the near and far regions of the soul, and finally Gustav Holst’s piece takes us on a geographic journey as we tour around the then known planets of the Solar System.

Conducted by Gilbert Varga
Péter Frankl – piano
An orchestra tells a story. That is, each composer tells a story through the orchestra. What an exquisite bedtime story! And the storytellers themselves are Mozart, Ravel and Stravinsky. Ravel’s story was inspired by children’s tales. One of the children listening to him remembered, “I really loved Ravel...He sat me on his knee and immediately began: Once upon a time…” Tonight, we also get to sit on the composer’s knee. Because stories aren’t just for children or bedsides — they can even be told in a recital hall!